p. 715 | Question Corner by Milton C. Wilcox

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 16, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 45.

Question Corner

By Milton C. Wilcox

Conducted by Milton C. Wilcox, Mountain View, California

Note.—This department is for the purpose of helping Bible students. Answers must of necessity be brief, often only suggestive, never exhaustive, never infallible except as they agree with the infallible Word. Such questions only will be answered as seem to the editors to minister to the mission of the paper. Questions of the same import cannot be answered repeatedly in the same volume. Name and address must be given, not for publication, but as evidence of good faith and to insure reply by letter if thought best. It is well always to inclose stamp, not stamped envelope, unless answer is desired by letter alone.

197 — The Day of the Sabbath

By what means do you know whether the Sabbath day that you keep is the Sabbath day that was kept when Christ was here or before He came? You have no way by history or by the Bible of telling whether you are keeping Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday, or Saturday.

N. J. E.

There are some things, however, that are worthy of consideration. First of all, we have the making of the Sabbath by the Creator, as recorded in Gen. 2: 2, 3. It may be granted, for the argument’s sake, that for twenty-five hundred years, more or less, after that, the people of the earth forgot the day. There came a time when God called His people to observe the day; therefore He called them out of Egypt, that they might do that among other important duties. In order that He might fix in their minds the sacredness of the day, He wrought the miracle of the fall of the manna—a threefold miracle every week, which pointed out the day in a more specific, emphatic way than could be conceived by man. And that threefold miracle continued for forty years, during the wilderness wandering of the children of Israel. God fixed the day there. It was not a mere seventh part of time; it was the seventh day, on which no manna fell. No one contends that from that time on to the first advent of our Lord, the day was lost by the Jewish nation. It was kept by devoted, earnest Jews all the way through the fifteen centuries lying between those two events—Sinai and Calvary.

We will grant, however, that they may have lost the time during that period. There comes into the world the infallible Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ, the One through whom the Father wrought everything. Whether men knew which the seventh day was or not, He knew. He observed God’s commandments, kept the seventh day; and those who were with Him at the time of His death, it is recorded, “rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” Luke 23: 56. The next day, according to the next verse, was the first day of the week. The same thing is recorded in Matt. 28: 1 and in Mark 16: 1, 2—the positive proof that the Sabbath day was the day just before the first day of the week.

Since the days of our Lord, there is no question as regards the order of the days of the week. All records of all countries, with no exception worthy of note, give us the same order of days that we have at the present time. Those who keep Sunday, claim to observe it for the resurrection of Jesus. They themselves consider the proof sufficient that Sunday is the first day of the week. The same thing that proves that Sunday is the first day of the week, proves that the day before Sunday is the seventh day of the week. Therefore we do know, just as much as anything can be known, that the last day of the week is the Sabbath of the Lord.

198 — Was Sin Foreordained?

Was not the plan of salvation formulated before the creation of man, and sin foreordained? See 1 Peter 1: 19, 20; Rev. 13: 8; Eph. 1: 4, 5; 2 Tim. 1: 9. To state this in the form of language which we use to-day, would it not mean in substance, the purpose of God was given us and made secure in Christ Jesus before the beginning of the world? See also Rom. 8: 28-30. When did this predestination take place? Did He not predestinate those who are called according to His purpose before the world began?

L. C. R.

It has been necessary to condense greatly the above question, but we do not think we have misstated it. The greater part omitted is the scriptures cited. Let us suggest to this candid inquirer:

1. God does not foreordain sin or iniquity or unrighteousness. He does not foreordain sinners or evil men.

2. What God does foreordain is character. That is the most precious thing in the universe in the sight of God. “The righteous God loveth righteousness.”

3. It would seem clearly evident that the all-perfect and infinite God would plan to people this earth with a perfect number of beings, of perfect individual characters; that these characters would persist forever, and that they would therefore be written before the foundation of the world in the book of life. Rev. 13: 8.

4. The all-wise God would foreknow that evil would seek to thwart His perfect plan. But in the storehouse of the Infinite are potencies to meet every exigency which might arise. If this were not the case, He would not be God. The evil was not foreordained; the exigency was not decreed; but should it arise, it would be met by the infinite resources of the wisdom and power of God for the salvation of the trusting ones, and the vindication of His own character. In other words, God’s plan could not be overthrown, thwarted, or found defective. It may seem to be, for a time; but the end will vindicate His love, His wisdom, His power.

5. When God calls a man, He calls him to one of these names, one of these characters. The man responds. His own probationary name is written in the book of life. Phil. 4: 3; Luke 10: 20. The man is a candidate for the name and character written in the book of life before the foundation of the world. If he proves faithful, his election is made sure, he has in victorious experience spelled out the new name. 2 Peter 1: 10; Rev. 2: 17. If faithless, his own name is blotted out. Rev. 3: 5. And the soul who yields to God’s leading, submits to His molding and polishing, drinks of His Spirit and life and love, and thus identifies himself with the perfect plan, is among the called, and justified, and glorified. Rom. 8: 30.

199 — The German Nation

How far back do we have a record of Germany as a nation? How early in history?

“Germany” was a name applied in olden times to the country bounded by the Rhine on the west, the Baltic on the north, the Vistula and the Carpathian Mountains on the east, and the Danube on the south. The inhabitants of that land are described as men of great stature and strength, with fair complexion and blue eyes. Many of these tribes were nomadic; that is, they journeyed from place to place. Their chief occupation was war, and they were ardently attached to liberty. Their women were noted for their chastity, and were held in high honor.

The people were divided into four classes; nobles, freemen, vassals, and slaves. The king’s power was limited. He was elected from among the nobles. The Roman general Marius fought against them in 102 and 101 B. C., and conquered them. Julius Cæsar fought with them between the years 58 and 53 B. C., and Drusus between 12 and 9 B. C.; but in A. D. 9, the Germans annihilated one Roman army, and this practically decided the Roman Empire not to undertake the conquest of Germany. Later, however, Cæsar Germanicus, son of Nero Claudius, the Roman, carried on some successful wars against them. In later times, the Germans often entered the Roman armies, and finally invaded the empire under various tribes. Noted among these were the Alemanni and the Franks, but these afterward divided.

Germany as a separate kingdom dates from the treaty of Verdun, in 843. By that treaty, the empire of Charles the Great was finally divided, and Germany fell to the share of Ludwig, or Louis, the grandson of the emperor. Since that time, there has been more or less division in the various petty kingdoms and states; and, at the present time, Germany is a confederation, the state having the largest influence being Prussia. Since the German confederation, it has been one of the leading powers of the world.